The guy who built the Kindle is leading Amazon's retail plans, including a store with no payment counters
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Amazon's long-time executive Steve Kessel is in charge of running the company's new retail business, according to a report by Re/code's Jason Del Ray.
In early 2015, Kessel returned to Amazon, but his role has been unclear until now. Re/code says he's been working on this project secretly for a long time.
Aside from the bookstore, Kessel's team is also planning to open physical stores that sell things other than books, although it's unclear what they will be. Another idea it's testing is a store without a payments gateway, allowing the customer to pay with a smartphone app instead.
Amazon is planning to open a new bookstore in Southern California, based on the job listings spotted by Re/code. One of the jobs says it'll be in La Jolla or San Diego, the report said.
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